As a tasty alternative to cheese, nutritional yeast has become increasingly common in vegan cooking. You might be curious as to whether or not your cat would enjoy the savory umami flavor.
The good news is that nutritional yeast is safe for cats and, depending on its preparation and composition, may even be beneficial to your cat’s health.
Keep reading to learn about the possible advantages and disadvantages of feeding nutritional yeast to your cat.
Can Cats Eat Nutritional Yeast?
Is it okay to give cats nutritional yeast? I can guess what you’re thinking now. What kind of crazy cat would eat g dough when it knows it’s bad for them?
In short, they can’t. Thankfully, this is a different kind of yeast. You can safely eat nutritional yeast, also known as “nooch.”
It’s widely available, from health food stores to grocery stores. Nutritional yeast is frequently misunderstood as brewer’s yeast.
However, this is not right; the two varieties of yeast are distinct. Beer brewing results in the creation of brewer’s yeast.
Bread made with nutritional yeast would taste rather bitter, so it’s not a popular choice. It’s important to note that there’s no guarantee that things will go wrong if you confuse the two.
There are nutrients in brewer’s yeast, like chromium, that are good for a cat’s health. This trace mineral is useful in controlling blood sugar.
In addition, nooch is not the same as live yeast. The active form of yeast, for instance, is what’s used to leaven dough, but you can’t use nooch to make pizza dough.
Nonetheless, nutritional yeast is adaptable to many different eating plans. It’s healthy, low in sugar and fat, and suitable for vegans. It can also be found as a powder or fine flakes.
If you want to trick your cat into eating something, this is the way to go. The question is why you’d want your pet to eat nutritional yeast.
Owners of finicky felines will be relieved to hear that it is tasty. The glutamic acids in nutritional yeast are what make it so appealing to felines.
What Is Nutritional Yeast?
Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast that is grown on sugarcane or beet molasses and sold in the bulk section of health food stores as yellow flakes or powder.
Since it can be used to make non-dairy “cheeses” that taste similar to cheese and nuts, or used alone to replace cheese in vegetarian or vegan recipes, nutritional yeast is a common ingredient in vegan and vegetarian diets. Popcorn with this seasoning on top is delicious.
Besides being high in protein and B vitamins, nutritional yeast is also a good source of potassium. It has a low fat and sodium content and is also sugar and dairy free.
How Is Nutritional Yeast Good For Cats?
In addition to being a complete protein, nutritional yeast is praised for its high B vitamin content.
Vitamin B supplements can help your cat’s skin and coat look and feel better.
Your cat may also benefit from a slight increase in energy levels thanks to nutritional yeast. It has been shown to improve a cat’s immunity in some cases.
If you have a cat that is picky and refuses to eat the food you give it, nutritional yeast may be just the thing to get it to eat.
Nutritional yeast’s high glutamic acid content can help cats enjoy their food more.
How Can I Safely Give Nutritional Yeast To My Cat?
Nutritional yeast is widely available and can be found in many grocery stores and health food stores. However, it is always best to check with your vet first and choose a brand they endorse.
You should start slowly and with a small amount of nutritional yeast if you want to give it to your cat. To start, you may only need a quarter of a teaspoon.
When deciding how much human food to feed your cat, it is best to consult with your veterinarian first.
Last but not least, remember that nutritional yeast is not the same thing as the active dry yeast you’d use in baking. Unlike regular yeast, which can be extremely harmful to cats, nutritional yeast is completely safe for them.
Is Nutritional Yeast High in Phosphorus?
In addition to the B vitamins, chromium, 16 amino acids, 14 or more minerals, and 17 vitamins (minus vitamins A, C, and E), nutritional yeast is a good source of many other essential nutrients. The high phosphorus content of nutritional yeast can cause calcium loss.
Since phosphorus is an acid-forming mineral, an excess of it can throw the body’s pH out of whack, necessitating the use of calcium stores to bring things back to normal.
Is Phosphorus Bad for Cats?
Phosphorus, which is present in nutritional yeast, is toxic to cats. The average cat’s diet already contains a significant amount of phosphorus, so adding another 14 mg of phosphorus from a 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon wouldn’t be a problem in most cases.
There is some suggestion that healthy cats’ kidney function can be damaged by phosphate concentrations that are more than five times higher than the amount needed for daily health maintenance.
Chronic kidney disease is made worse by a diet high in phosphorus, according to studies.
Make sure your cat is not getting too much phosphorus or phosphates from other sources if you plan to feed them nutritional yeast.
What Is the Difference Between Nutritional Yeast And Brewer’s Yeast?
Nutritional yeast is not the same as brewer’s yeast, which is a byproduct of beer production. Brewer’s yeast has a bitter taste, but it’s packed with nutrients.
Brewer’s yeast may not bother all felines, so be sure to check the packaging before giving it a try. Many producers include garlic, which is harmful to cats.
What Is the Difference Between Nutritional Yeast and Active Yeast?
There is a huge difference between nutritional yeast and active yeast. Active yeast is used as a leavening agent in breads and other baked goods. It’s found in most supermarkets and is used to give baked goods their characteristic rise.
Deactivated yeast is what we call “nutritional yeast.” It cannot replace yeast in baking because it cannot make things rise.
Why Is Active Yeast Dangerous For Cats?
Cats shouldn’t consume any yeast at all. Active yeast can cause either gas or alcohol poisoning in a cat that ingests it.
An emergency veterinarian’s services would be required for these types of situations.
Because of its ability to produce carbon dioxide and ethanol alcohol, active yeast is a serious threat to your cat even when it is not fermenting carbohydrates in bread.
Alcohol is absorbed quickly into a cat’s bloodstream after ingestion and can lead to seizures and respiratory failure.
Why Is Active Yeast Bad For Cats?
While it’s true that cats can safely eat bread, they shouldn’t eat any food high in carbohydrates. Cats should not eat raw yeast under any circumstances.
The ingredient will continue to rise and expand in a cat’s stomach, potentially causing bloat and stomach distention.
In extreme cases, surgery may be required to expel the dough from the cat’s stomach.
During the fermentation process, yeast also produces ethanol. When ethanol enters the cat’s bloodstream, it can cause alcohol poisoning.
Final Thoughts
Cats can safely consume small amounts of nutritional yeast. Vitamins, protein, and other healthy nutrients are all present in it.
However, active yeast, like that used in baking bread, is extremely harmful to cats and should never be given to them. Nutritional yeast is a safe alternative.
As with any novel food, it is best to provide your cat with only a moderate amount; however, you should consult your regular veterinarian before feeding your cat any human food, including nutritional yeast.
If you really want to spoil your cat, though, it’s probably best to stick to treats that are made specifically for felines.